About Me

Writer/Curator/Founder of The Autism Acceptance Project. Contributing Author to Between Interruptions: Thirty Women Tell the Truth About Motherhood, and Concepts of Normality by Wendy Lawson, and soon to be published Gravity Pulls You In. Writing my own book. Lecturer on autism and the media and parenting. Current graduate student Critical Disability Studies and most importantly,
mother of Adam -- a new and emerging writer.

“There is no hope unmingled with fear, and no fear unmingled with hope.”
-- Baruch Spinoza

Saturday, March 18, 2006

New Identity?

In the name of quasi-anonymity, of standing up by hanging low, similar to registering for votes, but never talking about a stance with colleagues and friends, I belligerently make a comment about the need to hide ourselves in order to protect others. A reality perhaps, but a shame indeed.

13 Comments:

Actually, it is a woman in Cuba. It's a photo in my office by artist Vessna Perunovich. I purchased it because I interpret the piece as a time line, the figure a part of history, somewhere in the middle of it, held back by it, in fact. I love the way she is blindfolded. It reminds me of our attachments to our Judeo-Christian past, and for me, the blindfolding can represent a naivete, or an ignoring of the past, or moving forward with the past attached to us, unknowing of the future.

Estee, I have always appreiciated your willingness to discuss the ideas of autism so openly amongst people who can often get caught up in discussing people, forgetting why we are all here in the first place. You inspire me. I love that painting as well as your interpretation, but I miss seeing Adam's sweet face on your blog.

While I've never used and probably never will use pictures of my children, I do retain all of our names...because I'm not going to let fear get in our way when it comes to "changing the world." However, I do applaud the way you seriously considered this issue before making your decision.

I will always remember the look of sweet Adam and I can live with it in imagination. Truly! I do understand your need for anonymity and a private life though, so if it lets you keep on sharing ideas as the other bloggers say but nothing like the other bloggers (can't remember just who though they are above me).

There is no reason for me to remain anonymous. I'm starting an organization, I'm developing a school program here in Toronto, I'm a writer and a public speaker, organizing a major event this October. I am really jesting with myself a little bit here, pondering the need for anonymity in others -- how it may even perhaps work well from within.

I always come to the same conclusion -- there are good and bad anonymous people, there lives good and evil in similar words, we can never have good without the bad. We can never have Adam without Eve. ;)

I am not afraid. I just get annoyed, but continue to try and understand the motives and the needs of others.

OK, I admit that I don't quite get the picture in the background, but I've been known to miss some very obvious things. That said, the photograph of you makes a great statement about anonymity. Your hair is hidden by a scarf and most of your face is cropped out. But there's no hiding behind your eyes! Very artistic.